We are getting down to the wire—just two and a half weeks until Xconomy’s most unique, up close and personal event of the year: our sixth annual Napa Summit: The Xconomy Retreat on Technology, Jobs, and Growth. We have only about 20 spots left open, and a number of those will likely go fast. So … Continue reading “Envision the Future: Request Your Invite to Our Napa Summit June 8-9”
Category: San Diego
What’s Next for American Workers as Trade, Automation Roil Manufacturing?
When Donald Trump heralded Ford’s announcement earlier this year that it would invest $1.2 billion in its Michigan plants, it was seen by some as the fulfillment of campaign promises to “bring jobs back” and put America first. Last week, the other shoe dropped with reports that Ford will cut 10 percent of its global … Continue reading “What’s Next for American Workers as Trade, Automation Roil Manufacturing?”
Bio Roundup: Termeer Tribute, ASCO Peeks, Califf’s New Gigs & More
Exhausted by the nonstop drama in Washington, DC? Immerse yourself instead in this week’s biotech headlines. Let’s start with a tribute to a life sciences icon, then we’ll head around the Xconomy network with early news from the nation’s big yearly cancer meeting. There was also momentum onthe IPO front and new gigs for high-profile … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Termeer Tribute, ASCO Peeks, Califf’s New Gigs & More”
The Reconfigurable Future of Healthcare
Data plays a more central role in healthcare than ever before. It won’t be long before every person’s genome is sequenced at birth, with follow-up sequencing done at regular intervals throughout life. Each genomic check-up would produce roughly 180 gigabytes of data that will need to be processed, analyzed, and stored. The promise of using … Continue reading “The Reconfigurable Future of Healthcare”
Aira Raises $12M to Expand Services for Blind and Visually Impaired
After beta testing technology that provides remote assistant services for the blind, San Diego-based Aira has raised $12 million in a Series B round that it says will enable the company to expand its service to thousands of visually impaired users this year. Aira takes advantage of the gig economy by connecting online independent contractors … Continue reading “Aira Raises $12M to Expand Services for Blind and Visually Impaired”
Study Stakes San Diego’s Claim in Genomics: $292M in 2016 VC Deals
Preliminary findings from an economic impact study show that genomics is emerging as a distinct innovation cluster in San Diego. The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. began collecting data for the report earlier this year in a bid to assess how genomics fits into San Diego’s innovation economy. Final results of the EDC study … Continue reading “Study Stakes San Diego’s Claim in Genomics: $292M in 2016 VC Deals”
Figuring It Out: Addressing Practices That Impact Women in Technology
The Women’s March, New Tech Northwest’s annual “Women in Tech” event, and International Women’s Day are just a few of the recent events prompting important conversations around inequality in the tech industry. These discussions, while breakthroughs in many regards, are still just the beginning of real change. I’ve gathered a number of ideas for what … Continue reading “Figuring It Out: Addressing Practices That Impact Women in Technology”
Cybersecurity Firm Iboss Expands in Boston, Not Abandoning San Diego
[Updated 5/17/17, 4:53 pm. See below.] Iboss, a San Diego-based cybersecurity firm that opened a small satellite office in Boston last year, has expanded its presence in Massachusetts and decided to designate the local outpost as its corporate headquarters. Iboss held an event Wednesday to announce that it’s moving into a new 20,000-square-foot space in … Continue reading “Cybersecurity Firm Iboss Expands in Boston, Not Abandoning San Diego”
Proofpoint Uncovers Second Cyberattack That Uses Stolen NSA Tools
Cybersecurity company Proofpoint, which helped slow the sweeping global ransomware attack WannaCry after it emerged Friday, has now discovered a much more insidious, profitable, and potentially widespread cyberattack called Adylkuzz. Adylkuzz doesn’t demand, as WannaCry does, that victims pay a ransom to retrieve their data. Adylkuzz makes no announcement when it quietly invades target computers. … Continue reading “Proofpoint Uncovers Second Cyberattack That Uses Stolen NSA Tools”
Partnership on AI Adds Corporate, NGO Members, Charts Initial Course
Artificial intelligence is a booming business in 2017, but one that also comes with significant baggage in the form of public misunderstanding, potential job losses, and fear. Last fall, A.I. competitors Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, IBM, and Google banded together to form the Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society, an industry-led attempt to get … Continue reading “Partnership on AI Adds Corporate, NGO Members, Charts Initial Course”
Fake Photo Blocker: Truepic Introduces App to Verify Online Images
Craig T. Stack said the idea for Truepic came to him from a multitude of online sources. There’s the matchmaking service founded by his wife Greta, who insists on meeting personally with clients because the photos submitted with some online applications just don’t match—or the image seems decades out of date. There are tales about … Continue reading “Fake Photo Blocker: Truepic Introduces App to Verify Online Images”
5 Takeaways From the WannaCry Ransomware Attack
This may be the incident that finally pushes ransomware into the mainstream—and also forces both organizations and malicious hackers to adapt their approaches when it comes to this type of attack. The “WannaCry” virus, which first hit companies and healthcare services on Friday, has infected some 300,000 computer systems in 150-odd countries. By exploiting a … Continue reading “5 Takeaways From the WannaCry Ransomware Attack”
Ionis Touts Phase 3 Win, But Safety Worries Cloud Nerve Drug Study
Two RNA-based drugs for the same disease, a rare, crippling nerve condition called familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) with no available treatments in the U.S., could soon be under an FDA review at the same time. The first of those treatments, from Carlsbad, CA, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, is on its way there—but are the data are good … Continue reading “Ionis Touts Phase 3 Win, But Safety Worries Cloud Nerve Drug Study”
Scientist.com Raises $24M for “Pharma Markets” that Outsource R&D
San Diego’s Scientist.com set out in 2006 to disrupt part of the pharmaceutical business by providing an Amazon-like approach to the business of hiring contract research organizations (CROs). The company, which operates a network of online markets for outsourcing biomedical research services and supplies, has raised $24 million in a new round of venture funding. … Continue reading “Scientist.com Raises $24M for “Pharma Markets” that Outsource R&D”
AstraZeneca’s Yong Ben Joins BioAlta as Chief Medical Officer
BioAlta has named Yong Ben its chief medical officer. Ben comes to San Diego-based BioAlta from AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]), where he most recently served as global clinical lead in immune-oncology. BioAlta is developing conditionally active biologic proteins (CABs), which deliver a therapeutic payload or spark an immune response in specific areas of the body.
Amid Comey Furor, Companies React to Trump’s Cybersecurity Order
On a day dominated by news about President Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey, and its impact on the ongoing investigation of Russian hacking of the 2016 presidential election, two significant developments for the cybersecurity industry also emerged Thursday. First, President Trump signed an executive order laying out plans to shore up data security … Continue reading “Amid Comey Furor, Companies React to Trump’s Cybersecurity Order”
Bio Roundup: Big Apple Mo’, Checkpoint Yes and No, CAR-T Death & More
“New York, New York, it’s a hell of a town. The Bronx is up, but we’re Brooklyn down.” For all you old-school Brooklyn swingers out there, we’ll take a short break from the madness in the nation’s capital and start our roundup in the greatest city in the world. You might disagree if you’ve got … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Big Apple Mo’, Checkpoint Yes and No, CAR-T Death & More”
Why You’re Wiser with an Adviser
Long before Silicon Valley and tech accelerators, the Beatles knew a thing or two about finding the right startup adviser. Their 1965 hit said it all: “Help! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know I need someone. He-el-elp…” Every founder, no matter how sharp or motivated, needs some help, and a great … Continue reading “Why You’re Wiser with an Adviser”
Senate Vote Confirms Scott Gottlieb for FDA Commissioner
Scott Gottlieb will be the new FDA commissioner. The U.S. Senate voted 57 to 42 on Tuesday to confirm Gottlieb, a physician and venture capitalist, to lead the regulatory agency. He succeeds former FDA commissioner Robert Califf, who stepped down in January after President Donald Trump took office. Gottlieb is already familiar with the agency … Continue reading “Senate Vote Confirms Scott Gottlieb for FDA Commissioner”
Edico Genome Raises $22M to Expand Data Processing and Web Services
San Diego’s Edico Genome, highlighted in Monday’s media debut of Dell Technologies Capital, said today it has raised $22 million in Series B financing led by the Dell investment arm. All existing investors, including Qualcomm Ventures, Axon Ventures, and biotech industry executive Greg Lucier, participated in the round. The new cash, which brings Edico’s total … Continue reading “Edico Genome Raises $22M to Expand Data Processing and Web Services”
Evolving Empyr Unveils Way to Link Online Ads with Offline Sales
When Jon Carder talks about online consumer trends, he speaks with some experience. Beginning with eHeaven, an e-commerce website that he founded in 2000 as a student at San Diego’s Point Loma Nazarene University, Carder has ridden a series of enormous waves as consumers moved online to shop, search for home loans, and find businesses … Continue reading “Evolving Empyr Unveils Way to Link Online Ads with Offline Sales”
Dell Technologies Goes Public About $100M Venture Capital Arm
Austin—[Updated 5/9/17, 10:58 a.m. See below.] Dell Technologies is publicly unveiling a venture capital investment arm that has been quietly investing in startups since the operation was run by EMC, the data storage giant that Dell agreed to acquire for $67 billion in 2015. Called Dell Technologies Capital, the investment arm plans to provide funding to … Continue reading “Dell Technologies Goes Public About $100M Venture Capital Arm”
The Enterprise Bang! Moment
The increasing rate of technology advancement is decreasing the time enterprises have to react to competitive pressures brought about by those same advancements. A Bang! moment arrives when the incumbent can no longer react before they fail in the market. The specific timing is unknowable, but the outcome is assured. Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff, … Continue reading “The Enterprise Bang! Moment”
Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More
Two dramatic healthcare stories played out this week. First, to the jubilation of the nation’s science community, Congress proposed to boost National Institutes of Health funding, not slash it as the Trump administration had outlined. Then the patchwork revival of the GOP’s healthcare plan, despite being panned by nearly every major medical group in the … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: NIH Precision Boost, AHCA to Senate, New Drugs & More”
ChromaCode Using $12M to Make Old-School PCR Tests More Powerful
The advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing has greatly accelerated biomedical research and discovery, and brought the cost of sequencing a whole human genome to roughly $1,000. But what if you don’t need the whole genome? Carlsbad, CA-based ChromaCode was founded in late 2012 with the idea of boosting old-school molecular diagnostics instruments used in clinical … Continue reading “ChromaCode Using $12M to Make Old-School PCR Tests More Powerful”
VC Confidence Holds Steady in Quarterly Survey, But Reasons Change
In a survey of 29 Silicon Valley venture capitalists in December, the VCs mulled whether President-elect Donald Trump would buoy up their investment prospects with lower corporate taxes and government regulations, or worsen conditions by heightening global political instability and raising the risk of a major military conflict or economic downturn. That Q4 2016 edition … Continue reading “VC Confidence Holds Steady in Quarterly Survey, But Reasons Change”
Cytori Reboots Azaya Facility After Buyout, Looks for European Deal
San Antonio — Cytori Therapeutics is in the process of restarting a San Antonio manufacturing facility it gained in February when it acquired Azaya Therapeutics, the maker of nanoparticle-encapsulated generic drugs. The San Diego-based company now plans to find a European distributor for a drug that facility makes. Cytori (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CYTX]]) is working to bring the … Continue reading “Cytori Reboots Azaya Facility After Buyout, Looks for European Deal”
If Budget Holds, NIH Precision Study Could Be Flush As Volunteers Arrive
Until this week, many U.S. government science agencies and programs seemed destined for a big haircut, plus the loss of a limb or two. That included the Precision Medicine Initiative, an ambitious long-term study with the goal of recruiting 1 million Americans to volunteer health data. But in staving off a government shutdown, Congress pushed … Continue reading “If Budget Holds, NIH Precision Study Could Be Flush As Volunteers Arrive”
New San Diego Biotech Looks to Open Way for Anti-Cancer Drugs
In early 2002, the Finnish-born scientist Erkki Ruoslahti stepped down as CEO of what is now San Diego’s Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. He moved to Santa Barbara, CA, where he established what he calls “a little subsidiary” of the SBP institute, and joined the faculty of UC Santa Barbara. He continued his research … Continue reading “New San Diego Biotech Looks to Open Way for Anti-Cancer Drugs”
Analysis: Trump’s First 100 Days Through the Tech Industry Lens
Donald Trump spent his 100th day in office in ways that would appeal to his working class base—holding a campaign-style rally in Harrisburg, PA, where he confirmed his campaign commitment to controlling immigration. Trump also signed an executive order to create a White House office of trade and manufacturing policy, which aims to protect American … Continue reading “Analysis: Trump’s First 100 Days Through the Tech Industry Lens”
CA Stem Cell Agency Chief Randy Mills to Leave After Three Years
[Updated 5/2/17, 7:30 p.m. ET. See below.] The head of California’s stem-cell agency is stepping down after three years on the job. C. Randall Mills, known as Randy, is leaving the agency to run a nonprofit bone marrow donor matching program as of July 1, according to CIRM. Mills joined CIRM, which stands for California … Continue reading “CA Stem Cell Agency Chief Randy Mills to Leave After Three Years”
Smarr, Others Talk Healthtech, AI at Xconomy’s Impact of Innovation
In the not-too-distant future, a “planetary” computer will be able to create a computational model of your body, with the ability to run simulations of your health and to anticipate chronic disease before you show any symptoms. This is the direction we’re headed, according to Larry Smarr, founding director of the California Institute of Telecommunications … Continue reading “Smarr, Others Talk Healthtech, AI at Xconomy’s Impact of Innovation”
The State of Cybersecurity Insurance Today
Cyber incidents are considered the No. 1 emerging risk for enterprises long-term. No surprise, then, that cybersecurity insurance policy premiums are approaching $2.75 billion a year. Some experts believe this figure will grow to roughly $20 billion by 2025. For scores of insurance companies cashing in on the booming corporate cybersecurity insurance market, it’s a … Continue reading “The State of Cybersecurity Insurance Today”
Epic Sciences Advances Diagnostic for Late-Stage Prostate Cancer
When San Diego’s Epic Sciences raised $30 million almost three years ago, CEO Murali Prahalad told me he saw a big opportunity to use the company’s technology as a diagnostic test to assess how well a cancer patient is responding to specific anti-cancer drug regimens. Epic said Friday it had raised an additional $40 million … Continue reading “Epic Sciences Advances Diagnostic for Late-Stage Prostate Cancer”
Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Flails, Spinraza Sales, Batten OK & More
To judge the first 100 days of a new administration is, as many pundits have pointed out, an odd vestige of history, more convenient than significant. Which is why we’ll start this week’s roundup with our 99-day evaluation of the Trump administration—at least when it comes to healthcare and the life sciences. In healthcare, nothing … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Trumpcare Flails, Spinraza Sales, Batten OK & More”
Gottlieb’s FDA Nomination Gets Committee Nod, Advances to Senate
Scott Gottlieb’s nomination to the top post of the FDA is on its way to the full U.S. Senate. The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee voted 14-9 on Thursday to approve Gottlieb’s nomination to become FDA commissioner. All of the Republicans on the committee voted for Gottlieb, along with two Democrats, Sen. Sheldon … Continue reading “Gottlieb’s FDA Nomination Gets Committee Nod, Advances to Senate”
Will New Data Open “Bottlenecks” For Biogen’s Pricey Spine Drug?
Four months after its drug nusinersen (Spinraza) became the first ever approved to treat the rare genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy, Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) released study results Tuesday that could help more patients gain access to the expensive drug. The data, from a 126-patient study called CHERISH, provide the most detailed evidence to date that … Continue reading “Will New Data Open “Bottlenecks” For Biogen’s Pricey Spine Drug?”
Forge Therapeutics Raises $15M to Take on Drug-Resistant Superbugs
One reason that drug-resistant “superbugs” are a growing healthcare problem is the hardiness of gram-negative bacteria, a type of bacteria whose characteristics render many antibiotics ineffective. Forge Therapeutics says it has found a way to target an enzyme found only in these bacteria, and potentially take them out. Now, the biotech firm is preparing to … Continue reading “Forge Therapeutics Raises $15M to Take on Drug-Resistant Superbugs”
While You Were Sleeping: ResMed Builds an Empire in the Cloud
Over the past 28 years or so, ResMed (NYSE: [[ticker:RMD]]) has built an empire around its respiratory devices for managing sleep apnea and other forms of “sleep-disordered breathing.” In the fiscal year that ended last June, the San Diego maker of respiratory machines for maintaining continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) generated over $1.8 billion in … Continue reading “While You Were Sleeping: ResMed Builds an Empire in the Cloud”
Becton Dickinson Aims Beyond Diabetes with $24B Bard Deal
In a medical technology merger with implications for the healthcare sector in the United States and beyond, Becton Dickinson is acquiring C.R. Bard for $24 billion to tap into the growing markets for products used in treating vascular conditions and cancer. Under the deal announced Sunday, Franklin Lakes, NJ-based Becton Dickinson (NYSE: [[ticker:BD]]) will pay … Continue reading “Becton Dickinson Aims Beyond Diabetes with $24B Bard Deal”
Bio Roundup: Spinraza Woes, Science March, Baseline Launch & More
Rumblings of a new Obamacare replacement surfaced this week, while scientists and their supporters prepared for Saturday’s—a.k.a. Earth Day’s—nationwide Marches for Science. Our own reporting focused this week on the fallout from high drug prices, with a look at the frustration of families whose children have had trouble gaining access to the first drug ever … Continue reading “Bio Roundup: Spinraza Woes, Science March, Baseline Launch & More”
Request Your Invitation to Xconomy’s Elite Napa Summit June 8-9
Nobel Laureate David Baltimore. Microbiome AND supercomputer pioneer Larry Smarr. Intellectual Ventures’ Nathan Myhrvold. Nicole Glaros of Techstars. These are just a few of the visionary speakers who will be headlining Xconomy’s sixth annual Napa Summit. And if you act fast to request your invitation to this special event, you can join them and … Continue reading “Request Your Invitation to Xconomy’s Elite Napa Summit June 8-9”
Phoenix Shops Its Cancer Drug as Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment
San Antonio — George Perry, a scientist at the University of Texas at San Antonio, has long proposed that drug developers and researchers need to look earlier into the roots of Alzheimer’s disease. Over more than two decades, Perry has studied the possibility that diseases like Alzheimer’s may get their start because the body produces too … Continue reading “Phoenix Shops Its Cancer Drug as Potential Alzheimer’s Treatment”
“Our Son’s Fate”: Parents Fighting for Kids’ Spine Drug Eye New Data
Melissa Marotta pulled no punches to get her three-year-old son C.J., who has the genetic disease spinal muscular atrophy, access to nusinersen (Spinraza), the first approved drug for his condition. For months, she couldn’t schedule a treatment date at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, and for much of that time, she … Continue reading ““Our Son’s Fate”: Parents Fighting for Kids’ Spine Drug Eye New Data”
Trump Executive Order Adds Uncertainty to Tech Visa Program
Is the U.S. high-skilled visa program, known as H-1B, an essential contributor to the innovation economy or a way for companies to replace American IT workers with immigrants at lower salaries? It’s a debate as old as the program itself, which began in 1990. The Trump administration on Tuesday joined the fray with a long-anticipated … Continue reading “Trump Executive Order Adds Uncertainty to Tech Visa Program”
The Xconomy Roadmap: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch (and Disrupt)
It is a time of great transitions in the technology and business world. Key advances in areas like machine intelligence, agriculture, and healthcare seem poised to transform society—and everyday life. But it can be hard to keep up with the latest news in fields as disparate as cybersecurity, food tech, and cancer therapeutics—let alone understand … Continue reading “The Xconomy Roadmap: Top 15 Innovation Areas to Watch (and Disrupt)”
Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back
Think for a moment about the words and phrases that life science researchers and executives use on a daily basis. I’m talking about the seemingly simple phrases like “investigational drug,” “novel target,” “immunotherapy,” “clinical trial,” “in vitro,” and “therapeutic window.” There are hundreds more. Those of us who work in life sciences are comfortable with … Continue reading “Want to Communicate Your Science? First, Step Back”
Approved Opens for Business with $1M and Digital Mortgage Platform
Following a six-month trial of its digital mortgage platform, San Diego-based Approved has officially launched its Web-based software for home loan applications. In a recent statement, the 20-month-old startup also said it has raised $1 million in what co-founder and CEO Andy Taylor calls a “pre-seed round.” “Our goal is to create a platform [for … Continue reading “Approved Opens for Business with $1M and Digital Mortgage Platform”
TakeLessons CEO Discusses Chromatik Buyout, Why it’s a Good Fit
San Diego-based TakeLessons set out nine years ago to create a Web-based platform that helped match music students with qualified instructors. Since then, TakeLessons has raised a total of $20 million in venture capital, and expanded into new markets and services. The company’s last VC round in early 2014 raised $7 million. TakeLessons also acquired … Continue reading “TakeLessons CEO Discusses Chromatik Buyout, Why it’s a Good Fit”
Procrastinators’ Special! Save on 4/19 Human Impact of Innovation
Join Xconomy this Wednesday, April 19, at our “Forum on the Human Impact of Innovation.” We’re hosting an afternoon of insightful presentations and candid chats about some innovations that are making the biggest impact on human lives. Don’t wait to register—our “Procrastinator’s Special” ends today, and it’s your last chance to save on tickets. We … Continue reading “Procrastinators’ Special! Save on 4/19 Human Impact of Innovation”